Agri-Food

One of the Palliser region’s primary industries is agriculture, including farming and ranching. The area has over 3,600 farms – not including the many non-farm establishments in the agri-food industry – with over 11.6 million acres in crop and pasture land and over $1.6 billion in livestock and poultry. It also has nearly a third of all irrigated land in the province of Alberta.

Alberta’s agri-food processing industry and the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor (EATC), of which Palliser region is a part, enjoy favourable conditions for the development of food and meat processing opportunities. The City of Brooks and Medicine Hat are homes to several of the region’s meat processing facilities.

Alberta also offers an extensive network of research and development facilities in and near the EATC to help develop and commercialize products and processes. Agricultural research in the region has resulted in better production methods, new crop varieties, and a large, varied genetic pool of breeding livestock.

Investment Opportunity

Hemp Bio Composites and Pulse Processing are the top two opportunities for the Palliser region, as outlined in their Value Added Agriculture Investment Attraction Strategy (July 2016).

Local Company – Big Impact

Spragg’s Meat Shop, in the village of Rosemary, is a company achieving all kinds of success raising and selling free-range pigs to Albertans. By allowing the pigs to have free rein over the farm, the animals are relieved of normal environmental stresses experienced in traditional pig farms. This is another example of when a product or service is unique and superior, rural business can thrive anywhere.